The Chelsea Planning Board recommended the approval of several residential apartment developments at its regular meeting last week.
The board recommended approval of the special permits for the revised plans for the former Russo Tux and Limo site at 320 Revere Beach Parkway. The major site plan review for the project was also approved by the planning board.
The owner of the property presented a revised version of the residential development from the one that came before the planning and zoning boards earlier this year. The new proposal calls for 60 one-bedroom residential units, as opposed to the 67 initially proposed, and lowers the building by one floor. Additional space was created for an on-site management office, trash and bike storage, and a mail delivery room on the first floor. The developer also addressed some parking issues on Adams Street to try to make the project more amenable to abutters.
The 320 Revere Beach Parkway project will next be before the Zoning Board of Appeals for the special permit approvals at the ZBA’s next meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Planning and Land Use Permitting Director Will Cecio said his department appreciated the developer’s willingness to work with the city and the abutters on a revised plan.
“We also acknowledge that there are challenges to this site that we think any kind of development or project … would have to navigate,” said Cecio. “There is limited transit access in the area, pedestrian safety and accessibility are of course concerns being right up on Revere Beach Parkway, and there are some traffic issues. But I think hearing that you are working with the city and DPW and parking and traffic commission on changing Adams Street to a one way, we can’t condition approval on the traffic and parking commission approving this, but I think that we can make a condition that you go (to the commission) and request Adams Street be transformed into a one way.”
Cecio said he believes the project does align with the vision of the city outlined in its new comprehensive plan.
“It is producing 60 new housing units … and it would produce a certain amount of affordable units, which is really helpful,” he said.
In other business, the planning board recommended approval for the construction of 15 one-bedroom apartments over an existing one-story garage structure at 139-143 Essex Street.
The special permit vote on that project will also be before the ZBA on Nov. 10.
Much of the planning board discussion was given over the size and configuration of the parking spaces on the site. The board eventually introduced a condition that six of the on-site parking spaces be set aside for visitor parking to help alleviate parking issues on nearby streets.
District 6 City Councilor Giovanni Recupero did raise some concerns about parking and traffic, stating that he and other abutters were not against a smaller development on the property, but that they believed that 15 units was too large.
Property owner and developer Philip Raccuia said the project will be self-financed and depending upon approvals, will begin construction either in the winter or early spring of next year and take about 10 months to complete.
“We acknowledge and understand the concerns around congestion in the area … but we feel that this project is providing 21 parking spaces, and usually, smaller one-bedroom apartments tend to bring folks that don’t always own a car,” said Cecio. “Designating a certain amount of spaces for visitors can hopefully alleviate some of the pressure that could come for on-street parking for visitors of these tenants. This is producing 15 housing units, it is transit-oriented, and it is transforming an underutilized and dilapidated garage into a new housing project.”